Kyle Bennett: ‘I want to be just like James Coppinger’

Paul Goodwin

Kyle Bennett makes no bones about the fact he wants to be just like James Coppinger.

And the 24-year-old says the Rovers veteran has helped him resurrect his Rovers career.

Coppinger, who will celebrate 11 years at Doncaster in tomorrow’s Legends game, is not just a deep thinker but also a director in ProMindset, a company set up to offer footballers guidance, advice and psychological tips.

“I’ve worked with James Coppinger on a few things,” said Bennett. “I’ve had a few meetings with him.

“The way he is as a person and the way he looks at things, it’s the way I want to be.

“I look at him and try and emulate what he does off the pitch, because ultimately off the pitch helps on the pitch.

“I didn’t used to think like that but it definitely does. The way you are off the pitch goes with you onto the pitch.

“Copps’ big saying is ‘if you keep doing the same things, you’re going to get the same results’. If you change something, you get a different result.

“I was probably a little bit immature a few years ago but the last year or so things have fallen into place, like becoming a dad.

“I feel this is the time in my life when I’ve gone into a different mindset and changed my outlook on life as a whole.

“It’s about having a positive outlook on things, and that’s helped me get a bit more consistency into my game.”